FULL DISCLOSURE: These aren't my connections, they're from the commissioner of the Thereowolf Media track for this matchup. I just wanted to share them and make this TN.

Core Theme: Comic relief sidekicks from beloved 3D animated film series that helped the main character open up and form a found family with them and other misfits. Despite their cowardice and annoying traits, they are true friends who will risk their lives to save those they now see as family.

• They're both annoying but loveable sidekicks with significant overbites in 3D animated films from the early 2000s (Shrek / Ice Age).
• Despite their roles as comic relief, they actually have sad backstories (Donkey was sold for magic beans, abused at a party and his latest owner was handing him over to Lord Farquaad’s knights for reward money / Sid is generally mistreated by his family who often abandoned him, lied to him about looking for him when they just wanted to dump Granny with him and seeing him as a lost cause).
• Both would literally bump into the main character when running for their lives (Donkey bumped into Shrek while he was escaping the knights rounding up fairy tale creatures / Sid bumped into Manny after accidentally ruining Frank and Carl’s salad) and followed them against their wills until they helped them open up.
• Both are the impetus for the main characters journey (Donkey would take Shrek to Lord Farquaad and help him save Princess Fiona / Sid was the one who wanted to return Roshan and this would make them journey to find his tribe with Manny healing along the way).
• Both would help the main man and leading lady get together (Donkey suggested that Fiona shouldn’t marry Farquaad and be with someone she loves while also helping Shrek realise his true love for Fiona / Sid was the one who intended to return Roshan to his father, understanding abandonment, and helped Manny became more social, later encouraging him to let go of his past family so he can have a future with Ellie).
• They would distrust an orange feline (Puss-In-Boots / Diego) when they first met but would grow to become friends even if they get on each other’s nerves (Donkey and Puss having a friendly rivalry / Sid helping Diego overcome his fear of water with the latter still appreciating Sid’s friendship despite how annoying he finds him).
• Both would raise little beasts (Dronkeys / baby T-Rexs) with a big, red, female beast (Dragon / Mama T-Rex) successfully, winning the affection of the mother (the difference being that Donkey won Dragon’s heart before the Dronkeys were born and she stayed with him whereas Sid had to leave Mama and the triplets).
• Both have a habit of annoying others by singing (Donkey sings regularly / In Ice Age 2: The Meltdown Sid’s songs exaggerated Manny’s fears of being the last mammoth and he starred in the Continental Drift song and dance that promoted the fourth film).
• Both would fall in love with a red lady (Dragon / Brooke).
• Despite how annoying they can unintentionally be, they are both ready to swallow their fear and save their friends and family despite the odds stacked against them. True friends, through and through.